ISO mental health insight

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4RNB

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4RNB
I have a question for the experts based upon an opinion of mine. I'd like to sharpen my thoughts and opinions with better insight.

It seems there is a significant amount of medical topic posting pertaining to what I assume is young men getting involved with medical and psychiatric help for things that I would consider normal life problems and events. These young folks then get some diagnosis on file or some medication use that are potential issues keeping them from flying without jumping through lots of hoops. Many of these people claim online that they no longer have these problems, they were of short duration.

I think there is a bit of a problem with the medicalization of normal life. This can be as simple as following commercials for dry eyes (mine are dry every morning) and getting prescribed something to men getting older and having low T levels measured and replaced. Anxiety and depression seem to be the top two that impact flying. My values (I think) have kept me from going to a physician for every little ailment in life, unlike some that consume huge amounts of medical resources and likely have many issues that would keep them from becoming pilots (or being invited to come fly with me).

So, my opinion is that normal life events have become medicalized such that many receive unnecessary care that impacts their flying potential. At its extreme I would go as far as to say these people might be soft and just need to man up. I am also operating a bit under the assumption that men don't mentally mature until mid 20's.

For those with wisdom and practical experience, how true is this?
What portion of those so affected really ought not be flying because of their history?
If I am wrong, I'm fine with bashing but more so look for insight as to why or how to change my mind.

Thank you.
 
Well, you’re basically 100 percent right. The FAA’s inability to deal with this is staggering…

However, as a career instructor, I can tell you a very significant number of those folks ain’t gonna do great as pilots. They’re smart enough, they got the eye hand… they just likely ain’t gonna like it, so won’t do great.

But how the faa is working to keep them out is WRONG.

Why doctors are making the decision as to whether someone can fly is beyond me, and possibly a root cause. I’d sure be nervous about deciding if someone is fit to be a doc… BECAUSE I AINT A DOC.

I think faa docs should only be vetting the source of reports. Practicing docs (writing reports) should only be determining if they are close enough to “normal”. Flight instructors should determine if they can fly.

Wanna mix it up a little, certain “conditions” may warrant additional or different training. Attention deficit may require a 4 hr instructed flight? The faa is actually reasonable at making these sort of matrixes.

The current system has a lot of folks out of their lane.
 
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So, my opinion is that normal life events have become medicalized such that many receive unnecessary care that impacts their flying potential. At its extreme I would go as far as to say these people might be soft and just need to man up. I am also operating a bit under the assumption that men don't mentally mature until mid 20's.
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I think the normalization of many medical issues and taking meds for it all being a quick/easy fix, including mental health, is an issue. Obviously meds are the only fix for many things, just clarifying, but it’s may more prevalent to have those conversations now and get a diagnosis and prescription. I don’t think that it’s that people are necessarily soft, but look at societies acceptance of talking about issues and medicines being an available to treat it. The FAA is stuck in the past on many of these views and aren’t in alignment with the changing societal and medical views. I think it’s a “law of unintended consequences” kinda deal.
 
I think there are a lot of things at play.

We often give/get the impression that life should be all rainbows and unicorn farts. Some people medicate to try to achieve what they think life should be.

Others know that it’s not supposed to be 100% great, and are able to address shortcomings on their own. Some, however, have circumstances that they can’t deal with on their own, and take to either prescription or self-medicating. At some levels, that’s necessary.

On the other hand, it’s amazing what a change in diet can do. I have a friend who experienced debilitating panic attacks to the point where he and his wife were planning on him being an emotional invalid for the rest of his life. Eliminating gluten and dairy from his diet resolved the majority of the issues.

Then there’s all the crap we try to fit into our lives…Americanitis is a real thing, and it hasn’t gotten any better since the term was coined over 100 years ago. Know someone who gets bad holiday stress? The expectation, either internal or external, that all of these things NEED to be done to make the holidays a happy time? How many live their entire lives that way, trying to cram 50 pounds of **** I to a 25-pound bag? The solution isn’t more storage, it’s less stuff (whether physical or emotional stuff.)

And a lot of that simply isn’t compatible with flying and/or the FAA. Could the FAA handle it better? Absolutely. But like some of the more ridiculous definitions of “compensation” relative to 61.113, some of the FAA’s shortcomings are probably a direct result of pilots trying to game the system.

So…apparently the solution is to live like the Amish. I’m sure they have no stress. ;)

And I’m not saying this is the entire issue…as I said, a lot of things at play. These are just some that I’ve directly seen inside and outside of aviation.
 
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An amazing amount of what we do is depending on just that, reading supervisory pilot, and peer pilot reports. For psychiatry (anxiety, depression) if the disease is recovered to a certain threshold, we are super dependent on CFI reports, line pilots reports.

I have a USAF Lt Col who is right seat at a major, and his operational eval letters from FAA POIs and chiefs alike caused the FAA medical guy to say, "This guy's an ASSET. We will find a way". They did. That medical ASI was also a pilot.

Compared to when the FAA acted on the petition of 2006 (in 2010) to permit proper long term prophylaxis of these two (recurring) disorders, the agency was locked into the 1980 mindest, "We are not going to allow crazy persons onto the flight deck". (I can't remember deputy director Sabbatini's exact words).
 
I know two pilots in their late 20's who went on SSRI's because they felt like normal teenagers feel in high school. Zero reason why your diagnosis as a kid should play a role in your eligibility unless you had suicidal thoughts/self-harm/etc.
The FAA doesn't care if you stopped taking meds a decade ago and have a good education/job/family with no recent medical history.
Half the time doctors base a lifetime diagnosis off which happy-to-sad face you filled in with a crayon on the intake form.
Current requirements mean if you went through the ringer as a kid (sad, didnt study, bad grades = ADHD/Depression diagnoses) you can't fly without a nightmare of paperwork, testing, time, and $$$$. Just putting my successful lasik surgery on my form made my AME do a backflip out of sheer stress.
This is a huge point of the PMHC, and we are going to see major change soon with the passage of the MHAA.
 
MauleSkinner said:
Then there’s all the crap we try to fit into our lives…Americanitis is a real thing, and it hasn’t gotten any better since the term was coined over 100 years ago. Know someone who gets bad holiday stress? The expectation, either internal or external, that all of these things NEED to be done to make the holidays a happy time? How many live their entire lives that way, trying to cram 50 pounds of **** I to a 25-pound bag? The solution isn’t more storage, it’s less stuff (whether physical or emotional stuff.)
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Quoting because I have but one like to give.
 
4RNB said:
I have a question for the experts based upon an opinion of mine. I'd like to sharpen my thoughts and opinions with better insight.

It seems there is a significant amount of medical topic posting pertaining to what I assume is young men getting involved with medical and psychiatric help for things that I would consider normal life problems and events. These young folks then get some diagnosis on file or some medication use that are potential issues keeping them from flying without jumping through lots of hoops. Many of these people claim online that they no longer have these problems, they were of short duration.

I think there is a bit of a problem with the medicalization of normal life.

Thank you.
Click to expand...

We try and solve "life" with meds now. I dunno if that is good or bad, but it is a fact. And the FAA hasn't adapted.
 
I think there's an American thing of looking at anything and figuring we can make it better. Maybe related to the way the country started. Sometimes that's great...things like airplanes, going to the moon, microprocessors for the most part. We do things others might think are impossible. But sometimes when we try to do better, we make things way worse...chlorinated pesticides, seed oils/margarine, giving amphetamines to school kids, etc.

If there's a takeaway, maybe it's that individual people doing their own thing is good, but maybe for trends of groups of people we try to calm down a bit. Of course, that'll never work but it's a goal for some.
 
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